The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-11-05
A CATSKILL BEAR STORY.

vicinity of that romantic crag called hip
Van Wrinkles Rock. In fact, during the
weeks ramble which we took-my friend
and I-among the backwoods and glens
of Slide Mountain and the Indian Head,
we failed to discover traces OF either bear
or wildcat.
To say that we saw neither "hide nor
hair OF them, as the phrase is, would not
be true. There is great, tawny, glass
eyed. stuffed wildcat at Meade's, on the
Overlook; and in farmers house at Big
Indian we saw black bears skin, the
original wearer OF which had been killed
by the present owner, only few winters
ago.
But we found bear stories-plenty OF
them. Whenever we met native or old
settler of the region, we straightway ask
ed him for bear story; and he seldom
disappointed us. We soon bad quite
collection, the gem OF which is the one | am
going to tell you now. 1t has never before
been told in print, am sure; tor we had 1t
from the lips of the hero himself-an
italian laborer who, having originally
come into the Catskills to work on one OF
the railroads, had finally made his home
there.
Seated on raft at the edge OF the pond
where we were fishing, he related his story
in broken English, which will endeavor
to mend-not in the hope Of making it
funnier, but simply to render it more
Ineligible.
His name was Nanni (short for Giovan-
nil Rocco. It seems that in Italy, where
Nanni was born and grew up, he had
been kind of Snowman. He used to
travel among the Appenine villages with
a performing bear, which he bad taught
to wrestle SO skillfully that the huge ami
NAL, tightly muzzled and with claws
blunted, would "throw" all corners who
ventured to measure their strength with
him. Then his master would try bout,
and always came off victorious; but this
was due to secret understanding with
the bear, who, at given signal, would
fall to the ground and pretend to be over
come. This was done 80 naturally and
so regularly, that after a while Nanni
came to believe himself really more than
match for the beast; and the faithful
creature never undeceived him.
The fame of Nanni and his wrestling
bear spread far and wide. One day an
u-....A 1855 cIox,o on1 opoaOad him for q
foreign tour, to extend as far as America.
This began very successfully; and no
doubt Nanni would have made his for
tune in America, had not his indispeDsa-
BILE partner, the bear, sickened and died
shortly after their arrival in New York.
HIS master mourned him like child.
Such another animal was not to be found
for love or money, and poor Nanni's
occupation was gone. Disheartened and
without resources, he finally engaged
himself with number OF his fellow
countrymen, to work on the railroads.
This employment, in the course of time,
brought him to the Cstskill Mountains.
When the line Of the Ulster & Della
ware railroad was first surveyed, the
region through which it passes had much
more the air of forest primevsl than it
possesses to-day. The principal "old
settlers" then were the bears and pan
theirs and wildcats, with here and there
rattlesnake. There was good sport in
the mountains, at that period.
One day good sized bear, clos ely
pursued by two hunters, came tearing
through the underbrush, close by the
place where Nanni and his companions
were at work. 1t was a wild spot, over
looking that stupendous ravine where
the snowy veil of the Kaaterskil Falls
hangs gracefully down the black wall of
wet rocks.
"Head him off cried the hunters.
But the italian laborers we're too
frightened to dispute the passage Of the
parting animal. The mere sight OF the m,
however, caused him to slRcken his pace
and look about him, his red tongue hang
ing out OF his open mouth, and his mis-
chievous little eyes flashing with rage
and defiance.
Before him we're the Italians, behind
him the hunters. On one side was the
precipice, and opposite stood Nanni-
and he was not the man to run away.
II he tremble5, it was from excitement
and emotion-not from fear. The sight
of the free, full-grown bear at bay, and
rearing threateningly upon his hind legs,
caused food OF recollections to rush
through Nanni's mind. Inspired by the
thought of his triumphant wrestling days,
he had but one idea, and that was to get
a good "side hold" OF the bear, throw
him on his back, and capture him.
"Stop-al stop.al' he screamed, motion
ing back the hunters, who had raised
their guns to fire. "I'll catch. him for
your
To the speechless amszement OF his
comrades, he rushed forward and Crap
pied with the Infatuated bt ar, throwing
one arm around the plump, hairy body,
and with the other hand clutching the
shaggy throat.
The struggle was terrific while it lasted,
and by no means one-sided. Bruin snap
ped with his jaws, and slapped out wildly
with his huge paws, tearing great strips